Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-10-01
UNCLE DAN'L'S STORY.
Original Story by Richard Buckner Allen.

government "round stumpsr which point out
to the belated traveller the "big road" Already
heard the faint bark of hungry wolves
driven to the ridges from the depths Of the
cypress brakes by overflow; the shriIl, human
like walls of cats and the tip, tip, tipping
OF timid deer. Listening intently, endeav.
ored to catch some sound of civilization, some
tone OF deep mouthed hound, or conch, melo
dlously summoning the laborers from the cot
ton fields, by which to guide me through the
intricate mazes of the forest. Early that
morning started from small village on the
banks of the Mississippi river to go to the
''Garland Place." as the plantation was
called by the natives of the county. 1t was
about twenty miles from the village and ON
the waters of Bayou Bartholomew, tortuous,
turgid stream Refusing all tie kindly prof.
fered offers Of company and guide, started
alone Family echoing amid the dismal
Depths musical as the call of bugle over
waters, soft as the tone Of distant chimes, I
heard the mellow notes of human voice.
Nearer, nearer still the sounds came. l
heaved grateful sigh Of relief Finally I
could hear and disting uish the words of an
old negro hymn. Uncultured, untaught, un-
trained as that voice was, it thrilled me as
never did the tenor of Campanini or
Brignoli.
Go down. Moses way down in Egypt's Lam.
Tell ole Pha-ry oh ter let my people go,
rolled out the tuneful voice, ending each
verse with a peculiar, upward glide from the
rich barytone to a high falsetto note, COM
mon TO nearly every negro voice in song. An
old negro rode toward Inc and said:
Good eb'nin, boss
'Good evening, uncle. Can you tell me how
to reach the Garland placea I fear am
lost, answered
81 kin dat, fur fack lib on de place
an Ime g'wine dar dis hyar minnit. Dis
woods am bad place ter git los in, boss
Hits pow'fe 'ceivn'. You better keep clos
ter dis ole mules tail, case de slashes am
mighty deep in desc hyar woods an fob you
know hit, kerhopi you git in DEM
Then clutching to his mule and kicking her
bony sides vigorously he started. followed
him silently, keeping close ito dis ole mules
tail, according to my instructions For
probably all hour We wound among the trees
now on "a ridge" now in "a slashn We
finally gained the ''op'nin," as my leader
called it, and the shadow of the forest ended
Then we rode out from its gloom. Then
saw his broad, jovial black face. A 'possum
skin cap, wooden coat, blue checked cot
ton shirt and nondescript pair of trousers
stuck into rawhide boots completed his cos
tune. He rode q large, gaunt old mule
whose age must have been forgotten. We
reached gate that opened into the wide cot
ton fields Far i'll front Of Us stood broad,
rambling, white frame house with wide We
randas or galleries. White and desolate it
looked that night, ghost OF former grandeur
No lights were there at the windows, no
rudy glow of wood fires cleaned through
the closed lattices No sounds issued from or
around it, such as are wont to from home
us Mr.. Garland's house near herer /
asked my companion.
DAT dar wuz his'n opcest, boss Oar amt
no Garlan's now, sah." He turned to me as
he said this, and his face was troubled, his
voice grew sad and pathetic
"Does no one live on that handsome placer
@Noh, sab, dar amt been nobody in dat
house for nigh onter fifteen years. Ne
an my ole CONAN Ibis in de little cabin
down yander. 'Vinie an me bof Garlan'
niggers. l b'longed to Massa Jim Garlan'
fob de wah an b'longs ter him yit." His
voice touched me, interested and aroused my
curiosity.
what is your name, unclef"
"Danl, boss"
~Well, Daniel, want to see this planta-
ton tomorrow, and if you can give me
place to stay over night shall not only
thank but pay YOU"
"'Course l kin. I'll git 'Vilie ter fix up
room in de big house far you l doan' want
no pay. Marse Garlan he turn ober in his
grade eff he wuz ter know anybody paid ter
stay on dis place"
"Thank you; l accept your kindness
said aloud, land also your rebuke," thought
"Yes, sail, 'Vinie, OATS my wife, sab; she
ill hab good place fur you, too. De house
jes' IS hit wuz years an years ago. She III
jes' cir de sheets ar blankets, an den, dar
you liz al fixed up
By this time We had traversed the wide
fields, slsirted the houseysrd fence and came
to a halt before little cypress log cabin In
the rear Of the mansion which looked 50 big,
white and ghostly in the moonlight, The
door latch of the cabin was lifteI al our ar
proach, and intuitively / guess that was
" y jnic'' who welcomed me. Tirel, SIRE and
stiff from being SO long in the saddle, how
welcome, how snug did the interior Of that
little cabin look TO me. Aunt Vinie" BUSTED
about ''gettin' SUPPER Daniel took my horse.
/ sat down 70 supper, consisting Of coffee,
"brazed duck, corn cakes and sweet potatoes,
while tie old couple waited On LIE, pressing
me to eat more Viteliius at his table groan-
ing under the weight OK delicacies from
every quarter Of the then known world, never
supped as regaily as | on that night. When
supper was over and Aunt Wine had left
TIE cabin 20 20 ever TO ne big house 10 AZ
range for my accommodation Tor the night,
lighted my cigar and taking comfortable
chair asked Da ,iei 10 tel Ile the story Of the
Garianis and tvs cause OF the house being
deserted
Daniel, sitting Ia tie corner 81 tbs wide,
deep, open fireplace, IL which blazed and
cracked huge Pile II logs, ia answer 10 my
request. slowly took ont pair Of iron bound
spec carefully wipal them wi;l. huge
bandana kerchief, and thus began tale that
was tender and pathetic.
Hits er mighty long one. boss, an amt
sd muffin ter es.fsody beat de dosn's Cd dis
hyar bi-oh placsr ghe pronounced bayou
thus ''fer er many er long day I WEI
bawhn on dis place an Harse Garian', he
owned vinie an me BOT teEzlei de hoses
an dr1lv de czrr-y-age, an Vine, sise Saz ole
uissz1s' house gal Ole narse hs had
two chiIlern. Miss Ouiss an litsle Narss
John Len Ole nsrseis nezew, er orphan, he
lived hyar too. Ole zaarSeas SISTER, up ter
Memphis, sise tak'n died an lef' els boy Tex
him He WIZ De hansoEnes' chile, his h'ar
looked Ssp Ike gold an his two eyes wux is
Ee color Of q hazel nut arf.er de sscon' froaf.
Little Marse John Gsraan' vux "a brown ~
dat GUN log His eyes waz black an be hsd
u pow,he mean vsy tout ki1 Mis Quiz